Sweet Caramel
by Mint Pearl Voice
Summary: Meet Karumeyaki Hayashi, a selfish girl who's managed to become enemies with all the Mew Mews. What happens when she becomes the new Mew?
1. Prologue

My name is Karumeyaki Hayashi. Today is my first day at a new school. I walk to school with my backpack on my back, looking up at the pretty blue sky. If anyone asks why I transferred schools, I'll say it's because I like the uniform. But, that's not why I'm transferring for real! I have another reason, a secret reason.

Ever since I was a child, I've been smarter and more beautiful than everyone around me. I don't need anyone's help with anything, because I can do everything myself. Call me crazy if you must, but there's always been a part of me that knew that I was destined for something great. But, all my life, I never knew what that something was.

Then I saw the Mew Mews on TV. In a flash, I knew what my destiny was.

I had to become a Mew Mew. It would be easy, right? I'd walk up to the café, get caught in an earthquake, and BAM, Mew Caramel would be ready to save the world with her new best friends by her side. I, Karumeyaki Hayashi, am ready to live out my dreams! YEAH!


	2. Kick the Monkey

**Author's Note: Hey! Thank you for reading! I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew. *sighs* I'm trying very hard to make Karumeyaki original and not a Mary Sue. I think she's the first OC Mew who's a jerk, right? Please review!**

**"Hey! Hey, watch the show! Look, I can stand on my hands!"**

**That annoying, childish voice interrupting my thoughts… Where could it possibly be coming from?**

"Hey! Look at me, everyone! Woooooo!"

I figure out that the voice is coming from directly behind me. When I turn around, I see a young girl with blonde hair. She's using her hands to balance on a giant ball, with her legs in the air. The girl grins at me. "Hello! Would you like to watch my show na no da?"

I glance at my watch. I'm three minutes late for school! I can't go through with my plan to befriend the Mews if I get in detention! "No, sorry," I say. Hey, I said sorry, right? That's the nicest thing I've said all week! Instead of taking a hint like a normal person, though, the annoying little girl follows me, rolling on her ball. "Why won't you watch the show na no da! I worked so hard!" She pulls a frown. "Please watch my show, onee-chama!"

My eyes flicker to the watch again. Four minutes late now!

"Look, kid," I say. "I'm going to be late for school, you got that?" Then, annoyed, I add, "And besides, I wouldn't want to watch your dumb show anyway. Buh-bye." For good measure, I prod the ball with my foot as I walk off. It's just enough to make her lose her balance. I hear her yelp as she falls, but I don't stop to turn around. Instead, I just think about what I'll look like as a Mew.

My color will be orange, definitely. Orange has always been my favorite color: I've even dyed the bottom inch of my shoulder-length black hair orange, so I know I'll get that color when I'm a Mew. My dress will have spaghetti straps and lace-trimmed gloves, and my shoes will be flip-flops. Of course, I've already picked out my attack: "RIBBON, CARAMEL BLAST!" And my weapon? A sword. A giant, orange sword. Only the best for Mew Caramel, the new leader! Even though I don't like to hurry, I pick up my pace. Maybe, I think, I'll be in time for school after all.


	3. Caramel Boy

"Class, this is **Karumeyaki Hayashi. Hayashi-san, I hope you'll enjoy it at our school!"**

**My brown eyes sweep over the class. Boring, ordinary people. Nowhere near as interesting as I am. But…**

There's one boy, sitting in the middle of the front row. Deep dark eyes, slim yet strong, and soft hair that I just want to run my hands through! And... hey, that textbook he's reading looks way too advanced for someone our age! I read that, and I could barely get past the first chapter! Could it be that he's smart AND pretty?

When I'm a perfect Mew Mew, I'll need the perfect boyfriend. Someone to rescue and be rescued by, to hide my identity from, to save the world with. Someone like… that adorable guy in the front row!

The teacher's looking around for an empty seat. Finally he says, "Hayashi-san, you can sit next to Aoyama-san for now."

Adorable-kun nods at me. "Hey, Hayashi-san."

I feel a blush spread onto my cheeks. "Hey."

"Welcome to the school. I'm sure you'll like it here, everyone here is really nice!"

I smile.

An hour goes by. Sitting so close to Adorable- I mean, Aoyama-kun is making me lightheaded and dizzy. If this keeps up, I'm going to faint! (Hey, maybe he'd carry me to the nurse's office…)

Suddenly, the door opens, and a girl with reddish hair walks in. "Hey, everyone!" she says brightly, yawning. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Did you forget to set your alarm clock again, Ichigo-san?" From the teacher's tone of voice, I can tell that this is something that happens a lot.

Ichigo shakes her head, making the ribbons in her hair bounce. "No, Sensei. I set it, but I slept through it." She turns and starts looking around the classroom. "Oh, where am I going to sit?"

"Sorry about that, Ichigo," Aoyama-kun says, standing. "I wasn't sure if you were coming to school today, so I told Hayashi-san, the new girl, that she could sit in your seat." He looks at me. "Hayashi-san, you wouldn't mind moving, would you? It's just that Ichigo and I normally sit next to each other, and…"

He keeps talking, but I'm not listening. I want to jump out of my chair and rip those pink ribbons out of Strawberry's hair and make her eat them. He called her Ichigo! He's on a first-name basis with her!

This isn't fair, this isn't fair, this isn't fair! I want to scream! My perfect boyfriend isn't supposed to have a girlfriend already! I'm the one who all the boys are supposed to want, darn it! UGH!

"…you another seat."

I glance up at Aoyama-kun. "Huh?"

"I said, I'm sure that we can find you another seat." He smiles again, but, now that I know he's just smiling to be polite, I don't even think about smiling back.

"Uh-huh," I say flatly, picking up my schoolbag. "I don't mind moving to a different seat." One as far away from you as possible!

I spend the entire morning glaring daggers at Aoyama and Ichigo. They're so in love, it's disgusting. But, by the end of the day, I (with my usual resilience and remarkable ability to bounce back from heartbreaking tragedy) am utterly over it. So what if Ichigo had ruled out one potential perfect boyfriend? At least the other guys I meet won't be in love with her as well. Which means more bishonen for me, right? Obviously! I'm the beautiful, wonderful, 100% perfect **Karumeyaki Hayashi!**

YEAH!

I walk out of the school building, singing a happy little song. I glance upwards at the green trees and fluffy white clouds… and that's when I see him. I duck behind a tree so I can spy on him.

He's standing a little way away from me, tapping his foot on the path like he's waiting for something. He's wearing a short shirt that exposes his perfect stomach, and baggy brown pants. His hair is even softer than what's-his-name's, and the green color of a pine tree in spring.

And his eyes. Ohmigosh, his eyes. Take the shimmering gold of my favorite earrings, mix in a drop of blazing orange-yellow from the heart of a sunset, and mellow it out with a dash of tree bark brown…

His eyes are the color of sweet caramel.

How perfect is that? Mew Caramel dating a boy with caramel-colored eyes? The world's most handsome boy and the world's cutest girl?

Hands off, all you other girls out there! Caramel boy is mine!

Just as I think this, Ichigo comes walking out of the school. In the blink of an eye, caramel boy jumps into the tree directly above my head. I hold my breath because I don't want him to notice me- I have at least two pimples on my nose! (Stupid zit cream!)

And then, I get the shock of my life.

As Ichigo walks past, swinging her arms and looking at her cellphone, caramel boy leaps down from the tree. With incredible agility, he lands on her, pinning her to the ground. "Hey, koneko-chan," he coos. "Did you miss me?"

Ichigo forces him off her and rolls onto her side. "No, I didn't, and I never will. You should know that by now, Kish."

"Oh, come on. You know you can't resist my sexy good looks! You're so cute when you're angry, ko-" Caramel boy- Kish –stops abruptly. "Koneko-chan, did you hear something? Sort of like a scream? Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway…" He jumps upwards and sits on three feet of air. "Maybe just one kiss? Pleasepleaseplease? Your boyfriend's not here."

"If he was here," Ichigo points out, "he'd beat you up for saying things like that."

"But, you'd stop him, right?"

"Um, no. I'd watch and laugh." Ichigo flips open her cellphone. "You want me to call him?"

Kish frowns. "On second thought, I guess I can go without that kiss a little longer. Sayonara, kitty cat!" The air blurs as he vanishes.

I am utterly, completely speechless. Kish-kun of the caramel eyes, the most beautiful person in the world, is in love with Ichigo the boy-snatcher. That noise from before? Yeah, that was me trying not to scream. Ichigo, I think to myself, you're so… ugh! Why is it all the boys like you? They should be liking me, the beautiful, wonderful, 100% perfect **Karumeyaki Hayashi! It just makes me so… ugh! **

**When I'm mad, I'm not the type of girl to swallow her feelings. I step out from behind the tree and go right up to Ichigo.**

**"Ahem," I say.**

**Ichigo looks up at me, completely failing to register the expression of disgusted rage on my face. "Oh, hey, Karumeyaki-san," she says cheerfully. "How's it going?"**

**"How's it going?" A bitter laugh escapes my lips. "How's it going? The cutest boy in the world is in love with you, and you ask me how's it going? You sicken me, you know that?" I can't stop myself, and I don't even want to. "I hate everything about you, from your necklace to your hair ribbons. And that boyfriend of yours is the most annoying person I've ever met!" I laugh again. "Actually, you two are perfect for each other. You're both dumb!" **

**Ichigo doesn't respond. She just stands there with her head bowed. I give her a contemptuous sneer, then turn to walk away. But, after I take three steps, I hear her voice from behind me. **

**"Don't say things like that."**

**I turn around and see Ichigo, fists clenched, tears welling up in her eyes. "Huh?"**

**"Don't say such things… about Aoyama-kun…" She steps toward me. "I don't care what horrible things you say about me, but… Never insult Aoyama-kun! Never, ever!"**

**There are people who will sacrifice their reputation or health for that of a friend. The dictionary has a word for these people. It's called altruism. **

**I've got a word for these people, too. My word is ****_stupid_****. So, without another word to Ichigo, I turn and walk off. I want to arrive at Café Mew Mew soon if I'm to get there before the crowds!**

**Author's Note: Hey, thanks for reading all the way to the end. As you know, I don't own TMM. Aaanyway, this chapter is dedicated to mah buddy **Adrimarie!

Caramel Ribbon Blast! See you all next chapter!


	4. Have a Nice Trip, Caramel!

I am now walking along the street to the park. Keep it up, Karumeyaki, and you'll get there in no time, I tell myself. All you have to do is- no more delays or-

Suddenly, I trip over something and go flying. I land on the sidewalk and feel tears spring to my eyes. I, the beautiful, wonderful, 100% perfect **Karumeyaki Hayashi, never trip.**

**"Kyaaa! Gomenasai, gomenasai, gomen gomen gomen! I'm sooooooo sorry! Are you okay? OhgodI'msosorry! A-are you all right?"**

**I turn around and look up to see a gigantic stack of books on two legs progressing towards me. Suddenly, a glasses-wearing head pokes out. "Excuse me," the girl with the glasses says apologetically. She has green hair. "W-would you mind handing me that book?"**

**"What book?"**

**She points downward with her chin. "The one by your feet."**

**I look down to see a slim volume resting by my feet. This is the book that I tripped- the evil book that forced me to trip! It doesn't deserve to be off the sidewalk, and a careless girl who lets books drop from her hands for other, prettier girls to trip on needs to regret her evil actions! For the future of not falling down and breaking her neck, Mew Caramel will be your server, nya!**

**I bend down and pick up the book, then carefully place it on a park bench.**

**"Um… pardon me," the girl says, "b-but… what exactly are you doing?"**

**"Have a nice day!" I yell insincerely, then run off. Jeez, why do people keep getting in my way? Don't they know I have something to do! I'm on a mission to find all the mews and make them my best friends!**

**Author's Note: Yeah, I know this chapter was a little short, but I wanted to post SOMETHING! **


	5. Angry Mint

Wow. For the first time in my life, I am awed by the beauty of something other than my own perfect face! Café Mew Mew stands before me, pink and sparkly in the afternoon light. If it was a cake, I'd totally want to eat it! My neck is starting to cramp up from staring upwards, so I put my head down and look straight ahead. I close my eyes and wait.

And wait.

And… wait.

Okay. Any minute now, a mysterious earthquake should start, and I'll find myself merging with a cute animal.

Any minute now…

Why are they taking so long? Don't they know that the girl who'll be able to help them save the world is STANDING RIGHT THERE?

Calm down, Karumeyaki. Deeep breaths. There's got to be a plausible reason for why they haven't acknowledged my utter perfection yet! Maybe they could be… busy? Yeah, that's right! Death-defying battles against evil creatures from outer space! And so, when they return, Mew Caramel will be there to help them out! So, with my natural ability to take charge of any situation, not to mention the fact that I'm going to starve to death if I don't get something to eat soon, I decide to go in the café and see what's up.

The café is even cuter on the inside than it is on the outside. There's a waitress behind the counter, reading a magazine. Blue and white uniform, dark hair and eyes. Around my age, maybe a little younger. I walk up to her and clear my throat. "Hey, you!" I yell politely.

She turns the page of her magazine and lifts a china teacup to her mouth.

"Um, excuse me?" I call out in my melodic voice. "You waitress, me customer. Now give me a menu, or seat me, or… I don't know, just give me something to eat!"

When the girl just puts her teacup down and goes back to the magazine without even looking at me, I decide that it's time to take drastic action. I lean forward and slam the countertop with my fist. Tiny droplets of tea fly all over the place, landing on the waitress's magazine, uniform, hair.

She turns and looks at me. "What did you just do to Zakuro onee-sama?"

"Huh?"

Without warning, she opens the magazine an inch away from my face. I vaguely recognize the girl on the two-page spread- Zakuro Fujiwara, the celebrity du jour. Drops of tea speckle her face.

"For your information, I was planning to look at this picture while I enjoyed my tea," Waitress Girl says. "However-" She hands me the empty teacup. "Please take this into the back room and say that Minto would like her tea refilled."

I toss the teacup over my shoulder, and it lands with a crash somewhere behind me. "Why should I? You're supposed to be working, right?"

"I'm reading this article on Zakuro onee-sama. Please don't bother me." The girl- Minto- says with a faint smirk.

As you may know, I am a quiet, shy sort of girl. I never get angry or raise my voice, and I have little confidence in my own abilities. But, with such horrible treatment, I couldn't stay silent any longer.

"You're so lazy, you're too lazy to even move! I bet you'll never amount to anything! And I don't see why you have to be so obsessed with stupid celebrities! Why can't you just put down your stupid magazine and help me out? Oh, right, because you're lazy, rude, and annoying!"

Minto glares at me, which is rather uncalled for in my opinion. "I'm not annoying! And… what did you just say about Zakuro onee-sama?"

"That she's just another stupid celebrity," I say, slightly puzzled. Does this girl have anger management problems or something? "What? Why do you ask?"

Her eyes narrow. "You shouldn't say things like that."

"You shouldn't say things like that," I mimic. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a door with EMPLOYEES ONLY written on it. "I'm going to complain to your boss, and you're going to get fired!" So, without another word to Minto, I turn around and head towards the door.

"Wait!" she calls out, a note of panic in her voice. "You shouldn't go in there-"

The door swings shut behind me with an audible click.


	6. Merge

I find myself in a strange room filled with electronics. Computers beeping softly, their monitors illuminated with a soft glow. I turn around, scanning the room. Suddenly, the words 'DNA Infuser' catch my eye. It's written on what looks like a photocopier without the lid, and there's a big red button labled 'Do Not Press.'

Do Not Press, huh? How dare they give orders to the 100% perfect Karumeyaki Hayashi! Just to see what happens, I rest the underside my left wrist on the photocopy plate, pull my sweater sleeve down over my other hand, and press the button.

The instant I push the button, everything fades away, and I find myself in an entirely different place. I'm surrounded by endless orange light, spirals of DNA swirling around me. I'm totally naked, but that's okay. When I look down, I see an ugly lizard walking up to me.

"Go away, ugly lizard," I say. I take a step back, but it keeps trying to follow me. "Jeez, can't you take a hint?"

The lizard tilts its head.

"I'm the 100% perfect Karumeyaki Hayashi, didn't you know that?" I tell it. "I've never allowed myself to associate with ugly creatures."

Unexpectedly, the lizard jumps up. It's going to land on me, ew, disgusting-

My skin ripples as the lizard dissolves into it. I'm merging with the lizard, I think dreamily. It feels nice-

And, suddenly, the orange light vanishes, and I'm back in my body, back in my school uniform, back in Cafe Mew Mew. I feel totally dizzy, like I've eaten bad sushi or something. What the heck just happened? It must have been those carrots they had at the cafeteria. They looked like food poisoning waiting to happen. Tomorrow, I am definitely bringing my own lunch!

"Hey, what are you doing back here?" a voice snaps.

I turn around and see a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes looking at me. I've seen cuter, but this one is still pretty cute.

"Umm..." When in doubt, make something up. "I was going to complain to the manager. I got totally lost, and then I walked into the door." I rub my forehead like I'm hiding a bruise.

He scowls. "Did you touch anything?"

"No," I lie. Okay, there was that big red button, but I didn't touch that, right? I used my sweater! I'm innocent, I tell you! The beautiful, wonderful, 100% perfect Karumeyaki Hayashi never does anything wrong!

He seems to believe me. I'm feeling a little dizzy and tired, so I leave the café and go home. No luck finding the Mew Mews today… maybe tomorrow will be better!


	7. Simple Conclusion

"... and when we divide the number by its square root, we call the result a..."

I'm in math class now. Usually, I (with my superior intellect) can follow everything the teacher says, effortlessly. But today,I can't concentrate, because I feel like I'm about to to freeze to death. Were the teachers in this school too cheap to keep their classrooms at a suitable temperature? The cold was making me so sluggish and tired... The next thing I know, I feel someone's hand on my shoulder.

"Don't touch me, baka," I say instantly, opening my eyes. "If you want a ssssouvenir of my perfection, it's 500 yen for a strand of hair, got it?" I wouldn't sell my hair for anything less than that. It's a little longer than my shoulders, layers, but no bangs, and I dyed the bottom half-inch orange last year.

"It's lunchtime," the brunette who had woken me says. She's taller than me. Then again, most people are, since I'm a little on the short side. "You don't want to miss lunch, right? You've been sleeping for hours."

I sit up, rubbing my brown eyes. "Your sssservice to the great Karumeyaki will be rewarded," I tell the girl with a warm smile. "I shall ssssit with you at your lunch table, and you shall be permitted to gaze on my beauty. Got that?" Why do I keep hissing my S's? What's wrong with my perfect voice? I don't know. Luckily, the girl doesn't seem to notice.

She nods, although she looks confused. I consider repeating myself, but decide that it isn't worth it.

A few minutes later, we were in the lunchroom. The brown-haired girl tells me her name- Hibiki or Hoshi or something like that. I never bother to remember people's names- it's much more important that they remember mine. Hibiki-or-Hoshi and I are sitting at a table along with several of her friends, whose names I'm not sure about either. My lunch is a cute little bento box with chicken and fruit- I made it myself last night, and (of course) it's perfect in every way.

Ayaka-or-Miyaka, an athletic-looking girl sitting across from me, reaches into her lunchbox and pulls out a cabbage. She begins to tug the leaves off, stacking them in a pile on her napkin. Suddenly, she screams.

"What's wrong?" Hibiki-or-Hoshi asks.

"There's a bug on my cabbage!" Ayaka-or-Miyaka yells.

But I wasn't listening. I'm too busy staring at the bug, and for good reason. That cockroach scurrying around on Ayaka-or-Miyaka's lettuce is the most tasty thing I have ever seen. As Ayaka-or-Miyaka continues to panic, I take decisive action. I lunge forward, grab the cabbage leaf with the cockroach on it, and shove it into my mouth.

"That's disgusting, Karume-chan!" Hibiki-or-Hoshi squeals, covering her face with her hands.

"You saved me!" Ayaka-or-Miyaka gushes.

I swallow the last of the lettuce leaf and incline my head. "Oh, it wassss nothing," I say in a modest and melodic tone, marred only by that annoying hissing sound. (Do I need to see a speech therapist or something? Jeez!) Normally, bugs would disgust me, but I can't be disgusted by something that tasted so wonderful.

Hibiki-or-Hoshi smiles and laughs. "I just can't believe you ate a cockroach!"

"Yeah," I say. "Me neither."

As Hibiki-or-Hoshi and Ayaka-or-Miyaka return to their conversation about homework, I rest my chin on the palm of my hand and think. The strange occurrence at Cafe Mew Mew... how I keep hissing... how the cold room had made me tired and sluggish... and, lastly, my craving for vegetables and willingness to chomp bugs. All of these clues seemed to point to one simple conclusion:

I'm turning into a cat!


	8. Thoughts

AN: I know this chapter's a little short. Sorry! Anyway, today's chapter is dedicated to all my awesome reviewers for being so nice, and sakuuya for her awesome dark AUs!

BTW, Active, she's going to transform next chapter, since I know you were wondering.

Enjoy the chapter!

As soon as school's over, I head to the café. Could that strange machine really have injected me with animal DNA? I wonder what the Mews will be like in real life. I've seen them on TV, so I try to imagine their personalities in my head.

Mew Zakuro is tall and beautiful, but she always has this look on her face. It's like, I don't want to be here, I don't like people… So, I think she's the sort of girl who's embarrassed in front of a crowd.

Mew Mint seems to care a lot about Mew Zakuro, so I think she's a caring person in general. She's probably hard-working, too.

Mew Lettuce always looks like she's having a lot of fun, so she probably has a bubbly personality.

Mew Pudding is really young, even younger than Chibi-Usa from Sailor Moon. I've never seen a girl that young on a mahou shojo team. I think that's a tough burden to put on a little girl, so she's probably a little sad about it.

Mew Strawberry is always tripping and falling. A girl like that must have a lot on her mind, ne? I bet she's one of those absent-minded-professor types. She probably has a sparkling intellect, just like I do!

I'm almost at the café. I could run the last few dozen meters, but I'm feeling so cold and sluggish today. Suddenly, something taps me on the shoulder.

"Don't touch me, you ignorant peasant," I say instantly.

My shoulder is tapped again.

"Jeez! I told you not to touch me!"

Tap, tap.

"Okay, that's it! I've had enough of this. Prepare to regret that!"

I turn around, and- "KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"


	9. Turn and Run

Yes, I know that I'm the bravest of the brave (in addition to my many other talents) and so screaming might seem a little OOC for me. But ever since I was little, I have always HATED bugs and reptiles. And this creature is both! It looks like a cross between a spider and a snake- snake's head, spider's legs. Say it with me, everyone:

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

In a split second, I analyze the situation, realize I have no way to defend myself, and start running. The creature's huge, but also super-slow. Within a few minutes, it's way behind me. I lean against a tree, panting, my sparkling eyes half-closed. Okay, I think, what do I do now? I can't keep running forever, I think, and it's way too big to fight. I hear its footsteps behind me as it tries to figure out where I am. I'm doomed, totally doomed to die a beautiful and tragic death.

Suddenly, I hear a voice. "Mashaaaa." I open my eyes to see a little pink puffball floating in front of me. "OHMIGOSH SO KAWAII!" I squeal. It's Masha, the Mew Mews' mascot! Behind me, I hear the monster lift its head up and make an 'I've just figured it out' noise, like it's decided where I am.

Masha vomits something into my hands, then flies off above the treetops.

"Hey!" I yell. "You jerk! Don't leave me here!" But he just ignores me.

I look down at the thing in my hands. It's about half the size of an egg and very, very shiny. I've seen things like this before… could this be my own mew pendant?

And if this is a Mew pendant… then that thing chasing me is a Chimera Anima.

This means that I, the 100% beautiful and perfect Karumeyaki Hayashi, am going to own its sorry little behind into next week. As it crashes through the trees towards me, I take a deep breath and turn to face it. "MEW MEW CARAMEL… METAMORPHOSIS!"


	10. Caramel's First Battle!

Author's Notes: Hey all! This chapter is for my pal Active Gal! I'm trying to make the chapters a little longer, so tell me what you think. And don't forget to review!

"MEW MEW CARAMEL…" I raise the pendant to my mouth and brush it with my lips. "METAMORPHOSIS!" Instantly an orange glow surrounds me, melting my clothes away. I'm surrounded by orange! I used to ice skate when I was little, but not any more. I'm ice skating now, though- backward crossovers, waltz jump, balancing on one foot. My background music has a fast beat, a jazzy melody played by xylophones and cymbals. I launch into the air and the orange glow turns into an orange dress- a few inches past my knees, spaghetti straps. Some sort of tail pushes its way through my dress. As I 'land' I don't know what to think about: the fact that I just landed a quadruple axel or how INSANELY HAWT I look. My hair turns bright orange and grows even longer. Impractical orange snakeskin stilettos with ribbons that lace up just below my knees appear on my feet, and orange snakeskin gloves cover my hands. An orange ribbon winds around my throat, and my pendant jumps onto it. I finish by tossing my hair and putting a hand on my hip.

The snake/spider thingy rears back on its hind legs and hisses at me, then leans down to attack. Something tells me I'm not fast enough to dodge, so I block the blow with my tail. My tail is ugly, giant, covered in orange-brown scales! Even so, it makes a decent shield. But, I've got the feeling that it'll give out soon. Time to go on the offensive. I take a deep breath. "Caramel Sword."

Nothing happens.

"I said, Caramel Sword!" I say a little louder. Jeez, what's wrong with this thing? Hurry up and appear, stupid magical sword! I take another deep breath and open my mouth to speak. But suddenly, words pop into my head, and I end up saying those words instead. "CARAMEL HARP!" I place my hands a few inches apart, and a harp appears in my hands- star-shaped, orange, golden strings, and a strap to carry it over my shoulder. What the… Where the heck is my sword? I wonder, looking down at the harp in UTTER DISBELIEF. I can't fight evil with a harp! I'm too cool for a harp! This isn't fair! I'm the beautiful, wonderful, 100% perfect Karumeyaki Hayashi, and I get a harp? What is this horrible situation?

"ROAAAAAR!" Uh-oh. I look down at the harp. Guess I'll just have to wait till I get some Mew Aqua. For now, though, the Caramel Harp will have to do. I take another deep breath. As the Chimera Anima attacks again, I yell at the top of my lungs: "RIBBON, CARA-MEL-ODY!" I bend sweetly over the star-shaped harp as my delicate fingers pluck out a melody, a slowed down and much higher version of my transformation music. Music notes flow from the strings and circle around the Chimera Anima. There's a flash of orange light, and bye-bye giant creepy thingy. Just an ordinary spider, an ordinary little green snakelet, and a glowing alien jellyfish, which Masha eats. Hey, I wonder, where did Masha come from?

"Ichigo, are you sure it's here? My feet are getting blisters!"

"I'm pretty sure I sensed it around here, Minto."

I hear voices and footsteps from somewhere nearby. Masha flies off through the trees, squeaking excitedly. A few seconds later, I hear, "This way Ichigo! Masha says go this way!"

"What is it, Masha?" an elegant voice asks.

"Is it a Chimera Anima na no da?"

"Masha saw a new Mew! Masha saw a new Mew!"

Five figures and one pink flying puffball enter the clearing, dried leaves rustling under their feet.

"Ohmigosh," I breathe. It's the Mews! They're just as pretty in real life as they are on TV. I'm prettier though, of course. I sling the Caramel Harp over my shoulder and run up to them. "Hello. My name is Karumeyaki Hayashi. You can call me Karu-chan, since we're going to be best friends. Of course, I'll probably end up becoming the new leader, but you can still call me Karu-chan and- oh, did I just say that out loud? Anyway, I'm Mew Caramel, and I've been a fan of yours for ages. I-"

I stop, noticing with my usual perceptiveness that Mew Strawberry is giving me a weird look.

She wrinkles her nose and takes a step forward. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so," I say politely. "But…"

I take a closer look at her face. There really is something familiar about the pink Mew. Suddenly, it hits me.

Mew Strawberry. Ichigo Momomiya.

They're the same person.


	11. Caramel Joins the Team

This can't be happening to someone like me! I don't deserve this! I want to scream. But instead I smile prettily and say, "No, wait, we've met before, haven't we?"

Her head tilts as she studies my perfect features… and gasps. "H-Hayashi-san?"

"Hey, Pudding remembers you!" Mew Pudding somersaults through Ichigo's legs to stand in front of me. "Y-you made her really sad na no da!" What is she talking about? Suddenly her face becomes clear, like I've been looking at her through smoky glass. She's that girl from yesterday morning, the one who tried to make me watch her show.

"Oh, yes," Mew Mint says, stepping elegantly forward. "You're that girl who was so disrespectful to Zakuro onee-sama, weren't you?"

A low growl rises in the back of Mew Zakuro's throat. Only Mew Lettuce, who's looking down and fidgeting nervously, remains silent.

"I'm a Mew," I say, the only thing I can think of.

Ichigo turns away, crossing her arms. Five incredibly awkward seconds go by. Finally she says, "I don't like mean people, but I guess it would be nice to have some help around the place." She sighs, looks down, holds out a hand. "I guess I have to welcome to the team, Hayashi-san," she mumbles.

I shake her hand, then wipe my hand on my skirt. Jeez, do I feel disillusioned. Not only are the Mews not as perfect as I imagined (boyfriend-stealers like Ichigo get to be on the team? What's up with that?) , they're not even being nice to me! But, no matter how bad it is, I'll eventually find a way to turn the situation to my advantage.

I'm the 100% perfect Karumeyaki Hayashi, don't they know that?

Author's Note: Hello! Sorry for the wait, I've just been super busy lately. (I discovered Death Note, and I haven't been able to stop reading it XD) Anyway, I'll try to update soon! Feel free to hit that review button!


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